Newsletter No. 5 October 2020
'Behind the Cockle Sheds' by Terry Sibson.
Sometimes, everything just falls into place. We stand back and look at what we have created and feel a real sense of achievement. We may also feel a connection with an artwork, perhaps it marks a time in our growth as an artist or maybe it resonates for other personal reasons. This month, some of our artists are sharing a work of their own that they love......
This month Claire interviews Terry Sibson; we get to find out how Terry started as an artist, what she's working on at the moment and her plans for the future..... I had the pleasure of meeting Terry around five years ago at Peter Smith's art group, at the time I was feeling quite nervous as I'd not painted for years and didn't know anyone! Terry along with the other artists, were all so welcoming and made me feel like one of the group from the start. I remember watching Terry paint and thinking how relaxed and at ease she looked, I'd never seen anyone chat and paint at the same time (and so well). She was painting a beautiful Parisian cafe scene and she just made it look so easy! I know this interview is one that many of our subscribers will be interested in, as Terry has had incredible success since Lockdown with her 'Bunting' series..... First of all, tell us about the painting you love; 'Behind the Cockle Sheds' (featured at the top of the newsletter). What particularly pleased me about this painting was the variety of mark making in the composition. Sometimes such marks can feel contrived and unnatural but in this instance I really felt it added to the rather chaotic atmosphere of this local scene. It was also great fun to paint! When did you first start painting? I started drawing 20 years ago when I accompanied my youngest daughter, who was doing A level art at that time, to weekly drawing sessions with the talented local artist Reg Smith. Following this formative introduction, and the desire to add colour in the form of paint, I joined a group led by another very accomplished local artist Peter Smith. I had long since admired Peter's style of embracing deliberate abstraction and unmoderated brushstrokes and was fortunate enough to paint with him until his recent retirement. Do you have any art supplies you can't live without? For many years now I have painted with Liquitex professional artist colour heavy body acrylics. They are highly pigmented, have the consistency of butter in a warm room and retain brushstrokes. I use these with very little water and flat edged brushes. Who is your favourite artist? Such a tricky question and the answer to this has definitely changed over the years as I have developed as a painter. Safe to say however that my personal favourite at this time is the brilliant Scottish artist Anne Redpath. Redpath, who died over 50 years ago, used vigorous mark making with brush, knife and rags with a rich palette of colour to depict vibrant landscapes, still lifes and domestic interiors. Truly magical paintings. What are you working on at the moment? I have just completed a series of small paintings from sketches I made during lockdown of Old Leigh on sea. These will be available both as original paintings and prints from Two Tree Gallery. Now though, because I'm a confessed fair weather outdoor sketcher only, I am focussing on painting still lifes set up under strong lighting to concentrate on observing and representing tonal value. This will be done in a snug studio with plenty of tea! Do you have any plans for your art for the future? Nothing grandeose but like many painters I constantly strive to become looser and bolder in my approach. I would hope to exhibit more widely but in these strange times I feel blessed to be able to show at our lovely gallery in Leigh. Painting is a total joy and to be able to dedicate time and energy to following this pursuit is my simple plan for the future.
A selection of Terry's work can be viewed above, in the Gallery and at www.twotreegallery.co.uk.